


Behind Closed Doors

by ThatWinchesterGirl67



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt, F/F, Friends With Benefits, Lesbian Sex, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:14:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22960783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatWinchesterGirl67/pseuds/ThatWinchesterGirl67
Summary: After a drunken night together Emma and Regina seem to fall into a hidden relationship. Dinners that aren't quite dates, nights together that they pretend never happened. No one knows, and it's perfect. Though it seems somewhere along the line Regina started to feel more than she ever imagined she would.What will happen to this relationship, as well as their friendship when Emma brushes it off as casual and begins to date Killian? A heartbroken Regina and an oblivious Emma attempt to fix it. What if people find out what happens behind the closed doors of Regina's home? Can Regina win back Emma's heart?
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 18
Kudos: 112





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the start of my new Swan Queen fic! This is the first OUAT full-length fic that I've written in a very long time but I'm excited to work on it! The next chapter will have a lot of Swan Queen content and will fill in that bit of missing time. I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think!

"Are you sure that's what you want to wear Emma?" Ruby asked her head falling to the side as she looked Emma up and down and fully took in the outfit she was planning on wearing.

They were upstairs in the loft and Emma was standing in front of the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. Ruby had settled herself on Emma's bed with her arms spread out behind her and her legs dangling off the edge. She had arrived early, already dressed in one of her signature little red dresses and a pair of heels that Emma was certain she would never be able to walk in. She had insisted that Emma would more than likely need help to get ready and clearly she was starting to think she was right.

"What? What's wrong with my outfit?" Emma asked defensively, she glanced down at herself before looking back up to meet Ruby's gaze. She didn't see anything wrong with what she was wearing, sure it wasn't as nice or as flashy as Ruby's but Emma hadn't exactly had the time to go out shopping for dresses since she had come to Storybrooke.

"It's just-" Ruby paused and let out a sigh. "It's what you've been wearing all day, you know to work. I don't think a white t-shirt and jeans exactly screams girls night out."

"I mean, I might have a nicer shirt." Emma shrugged as she tugged at her top trying to think of what she had in her wardrobe. 

Before Ruby could say anything on the subject they heard the front door open downstairs. Ruby sat up and eagerly looked down over the barrier to the bottom floor. Belle had walked in and was now pulling the door closed behind her. She looked around the apartment before Emma's voice rang down the stairs.

"Up here, Belle." 

Belle looked up and smiled when she spotted Emma at the top of the stairs. She made her way up and dropped down onto the bed next to Ruby, tucking her legs up underneath herself.

"Belle please tell Emma she needs to change into something more appropriate for a night out," Ruby said gesturing to Emma's outfit as she turned to face Belle. 

"I mean, maybe something different wouldn't hurt." She smiled politely. Belle herself was wearing a pale yellow dress that hung just below her knees. Emma couldn't help but think that it fitted her personality perfectly. 

"Okay, okay fine. I'll go find that shirt." Emma rolled her eyes throwing her wardrobe open. 

She dug through what little clothes she had brought with her from Boston until she found what she had been looking for. It was a silky blue shirt she had only worn once. It was different than her usual style and had been pushed to the back of the wardrobe. A strange warmth swelled up in her chest as she stared down at the shirt but shook her head and shoved the feeling down. She pulled it off its hanger and held it up in front of her, turning to show it off to the others.

"Better?"

"Wow, that's actually really nice." Ruby sounded surprised as she nodded, reaching out to run a hand along the shirt and feel the soft material.

"Where did you get that?" Belle asked.

"Oh um," Emma stopped to clear her throat. "Regina actually."

"Oh." Belle and Ruby exchanged a questioning look and seemed to both have the same idea in their minds.

"She gave it to me after an incident with a cup of hot cocoa." Emma quickly explained before they could get any more ideas.

"Well put it on so we can leave. The others are waiting for us at the bar." 

Emma quickly threw off her t-shirt and slipped the shirt over her head. It was surprisingly comfortable and Emma was starting to wonder why she hadn't worn it again before today. Part of her knew exactly why she hadn't. Once she was ready she grabbed her phone and wallet, putting them both into her jean pockets.

"Let's go then."

~~~

Emma stepped out of the Bug onto the footpath outside The Rabbit Hole. The air outside was bitter and she was starting to wish that she had taken her jacket with her. She could feel goosebumps pricking up across her skin and she shivered. The shirt was pretty but the material did very little to fight off the wind. Ruby moved around the car, Belle's hand clasped tightly in her hand as she pulled her behind her. She slipped her arm through Emma's and lead them both towards the main entrance.

"Someone's eager." Emma laughed.

"I'm going to make a wild guess and say someone invited Dorothy tonight." Belle chuckled.

"What? No. I mean yes. I mean she's just a friend." Ruby came to a sudden stop still not letting go of either of them and stumbled over her words. Even in the dark Emma could see the blush creeping up across Ruby's cheeks.

"Oh of course. Never suggested anything else."

Emma wasn't surprised at the crowd inside the bar, she had been to the Rabbit Hole plenty of times on a Saturday night and it was always the same. The heavy bass of the music, the constant flow of talking and the clattering sound of the pool tables filling the building. Crowds of people were standing all around, groups huddled at the bar waiting for their drinks while others danced throughout the room seemingly not caring who was watching.

"Guys over here!" A voice cutting through the crowd caught their attention.

Emma spotted Ashley waving them over to the table her and Dorothy had managed to secure in the middle of the bar. They pushed their way through the crowd and Ashley stood to greet them. She threw her arms around Emma and she happily returned the hug. Ashley's skin was warm to the touch and Emma caught the faint scent of alcohol when she moved past her to hug the others. Already there were empty glasses on the table and Emma guessed Ashley was already tipsy. 

"Hello, guys." Dorothy nodded at them. Dorothy was the newest addition to the group and it seemed she was still adjusting to her new world. Emma liked her but she was still unsure about most people in the town, though she had taken quite a shine to Ruby, and Ruby had certainly taken an interest in her. She quickly hopped up onto the barstool next to Dorothy and immediately they fell into a conversation with Ruby leaning in as close to her as she could.

Emma took a seat next to where Ashley had been sitting and examined the glasses on the table. Cocktail glasses that still had a faint trace of the golden liquid that had been in them. She tried that particular cocktail in here before but the sickly sweet honey flavour hadn't been to her taste.

"A round of cocktails or shots to start us off?" Ashley asked the group taking back her seat.

"Seems like you've already started." Emma laughed. "But I think shots." 

Everyone else at the table nodded in agreement and Belle managed to catch the attention of the waitress to order the round. She nodded and turned back towards the bar to get their order.

"I'm so glad you organised this Ruby, I've barely left the house since Alexandra was born and I really needed this," Ashley admitted.

"Always happy to help." Ruby hummed. "Especially when it comes to nights out."

"Here you go." The waitress returned and set the tray of shots down on the table in front of them. "Enjoy." 

"Thank you," Dorothy said reaching forward to grab one of the glasses.

Once everyone had taken their glasses Belle raised hers up in the air.

"Here's to girls night."

"And hopefully many more," Ruby added.

~~~

"I'm going to get another drink," Emma announced pushing herself down from her chair with only some difficultly. "Can I get anyone else anything?"

It was nearing midnight now and their table had slowly been filling up with empty glasses to the point that the table was now cluttered. Ruby and Dorothy had slipped away from the group and were now playing pool on the opposite side of the bar. Emma was willing to admit that she might have had one too many, the warm, fuzzy feeling clouding her mind. It had been a while since she had gone out drinking with anyone and the night out was fun.

"I really shouldn't," Belle said shaking her head.

"Same here." Ashley agreed pushing the now empty glass of her last drink away from her.

Emma nodded before making her way through the crowd to the bar. It was still as busy as it had been when they arrived but people had now stopped arriving and she was sure it would start to quieten down soon enough. She could feel herself swaying in place as she stood at the counter and decided to take a seat on one of the stools while she waited for her order.

"Are you really sure another bottle is a smart idea, Miss Swan?" 

The familiar voice broke Emma out of her daze and she spun around almost slipping from her seat. Her heart stopped for a moment at the smirk that met her when she turned. She could feel the dark brown eyes raking up and down her outfit and suddenly she was glad she had changed after all.

"Well, I didn't take this as your usual spot." Emma teased returning her smirk.

~~~

Regina finally gave in to the assault on her front door that had woken her only moments ago. She threw back the duvet and stood up, cursing whoever it was that had woken her when she felt the cold bite to the air. She flicked her wrist and watched a purple cloud envelope her. Once it had faded away she was fully dressed. She took a quick moment to examine the dark blue dress in the mirror before slipping out of the room towards the front door.

Once she reached the hallway she peered out of the window with a direct line of sight to the porch. She gritted her teeth when she saw who it was. Why was she even surprised any more?

She reached for the door handle and flung it open.

"If it's another sleeping curse you're begging for I'm very close to being happy to oblige." 

Snow's face was flushed and she had a wild look on her face. She completely ignored Regina's comment and immediately started talking.

"Emma never came home last night." The words seemed to all come out in one breath and Regina could hear the worry lacing her frantic tone.

"And that's my problem how exactly? I'm the Mayor, not the Sheriff if you want to file a missing persons report call your husband." Regina snapped.

She moved to close the door but Snow quickly caught it and pushed it open again. Regina rolled her eyes but decided not to fight it further knowing she wouldn't get much further.

"Look Regina she went out with Belle and Ruby last night, they said she was really drunk and then suddenly she had just left. We haven't heard from her at all."

"So what you're telling me is, you woke me up at this god awful hour because your daughter got drunk and probably stumbled home with someone? She's a thirty-year-old woman Snow, give her an hour or two to sober up and I'm sure she'll find her way home."

"Just please Regina, if you see her tell her to call me. We're worried." Snow pleaded.

"Yes. Fine. Whatever. Can I go back to bed now? Or is there some more useless information you want to burden me with?" She questioned.

"No, I'm sorry to disturb you, Regina."

"Wonderful."

Regina let the door slam shut and gave a sigh of relief when she heard Snow's steps retreating across the porch. If Snow White had been insufferable as a child she didn't have words for what she was now. She honestly believed that anyone that judged her for becoming the Evil Queen simply hadn't spent time with Snow.

Ever since Emma had come to Storybrook and the curse had been broken both her and Charming had gotten worse. It seemed since they missed out on the first 28 years of Emma's life they were trying to make up for it now. It had made them the worlds worst helicopter parents to a thirty-year-old woman. It now apparently also included treating Emma like a teenage when she more than likely just stumbled home with a stranger. Or someone closer to home.

Regina turned around to see Emma descending the stairs, Regina's silk black dressing gown wrapped tightly around her. Her blonde her falling around her shoulders in loose curls was a hard contrast to the dark colour but it suited her.

"Thank you. For not telling her I was here."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is finally here! Some pretty steamy stuff in this one, no smut quite yet as I’ve never actually written any so any feedback on the scenes in this chapter would be highly appreciated as there is some actual smut coming up. Hope you are enjoying the story so far!

Emma was now standing at the bottom of the stairs, her arms wrapped around herself in a way that made Regina wonder if it was to fight off the cold or just a protective habit. She looked exhausted, there were dark circles under eyes that stood out harshly against her pale skin and her face scrunched up as she took another step forward and morning light hit her eyes. She was hungover. If not still a little bit drunk. Regina had to admit, there was an excessive amount of drinking the night before on both side and she was suffering the aftermath herself. 

"Well as much as I would have loved to tell Snow White what exactly her innocent daughter had been doing all night, I do have a reputation to protect. Couldn't have people thinking the Mayor has a favourite Sheriff now could we?" Regina teased taking a step towards Emma.

"Oh of course not, if that got out you might have to have a secret affair with my Dad too. You know, just so you don't choose favourites." Emma grinned. It was a grin that was just so Emma and suddenly the events of the night before seemed so far away, it was like nothing had changed. Regina knew better than that, something had changed but she would do it all again if given the chance.

"Please don't put that image in my head, Miss Swan." Regina groaned rolling her eyes at Emma's comment. "You would like some coffee? I can make breakfast if you'd like. Or maybe some aspirin." 

"Oh god yes to aspirin, my head feels it's going to explode, but I really should get home Regina. Henry's probably worried and if I stay here much longer Mary Margaret might actually lose her mind and form a search party."

"Of course." Regina nodded. She recognised the disappointed feeling that had now taken over, making her heart feel like it had dropped into her stomach. She wanted Emma to stay, wished she would. She wanted to talk about what exactly had happened between them last night and more importantly what that meant for them and their relationship but she also understood. If she was in Emma's position she wouldn't want to leave Henry at home worried about where she was. That conversation could wait for another day.

Regina cautiously reached her hand out and hesitated before wrapping her hand around her wrist. She tensed slightly, waiting for the moment Emma would move or flinch away from touch, but instead, Emma just smiled at her. She leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. It was light, her lips just barely brushing against Emma's. It was the complete opposite of the memories that flooded back to her when Emma leaned into her but still the heat of Emma's skin against hers made her heart race.

"Go get dressed Emma. I'll find you that aspirin." 

Once Emma had disappeared upstairs to get ready Regina made her way through the house to the downstairs bathroom. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and sighed. Her magic had reapplied her makeup and she looked composed but much like Emma her head was throbbing and she knew under her makeup she would have matching dark circles, she was sure her rude awakening had not helped her case. She opened the medicine cabinet and searched for the packet of aspirin she kept in there. Finally finding it she pulled it out and shut the cabinet.

"Regina?" Emma's voice echoed down the hall.

"Coming Emma!" Regina called closing the cabinet door.

When she found Emma she was standing in the kitchen, already pouring herself a glass of water. She turned around and held a second glass out to Regina who happily accepted. Emma's hair was unwashed and her shirt was crinkled after being discarded somewhere on Regina's floor the night before but somehow she still managed to look beautiful. Regina swallowed the tablets hoping they would kick in soon and handed the packet over to Emma. 

"Thank you." Emma smiled. She glanced up at the clock on the kitchen wall and groaned. It was almost midday already. "I should go."

"Yes, you probably should." Regina agreed, her disappointment lacing her voice. 

"Okay then." Emma stood at the counter a moment longer just watching Regina, reluctant to leave at all.

Finally, she shook her head and placed her glass of water down on the counter walking out of the room towards the front door. Regina followed her and pulled the front door open for her watching her walk out of the house. Emma stopped once she was standing on the porch and turned around to face Regina.

"My cars still at the Rabbits Hole, isn't it?" She sighed.

"I'm afraid so. If you wish I could bring you there." Regina offered.

Emma shook her head. "No, no it's okay. I don't think I should be driving right now anyway, might have to arrest myself. I'll just call David."

"Goodbye, Emma."

"See you later Regina." 

~~~ 

The sound of the stairs that lead up to the apartment squeaking under Emma's feet seemed even louder than usual in the deafening silence. The guilt of not calling her parents was eating away at Emma. When David had come to pick her up he had just silently wrapped his arms around her and then made her promise to never disappear like that again. The thought of facing Mary Margaret was almost terrifying, she had sounded so frantic at Regina's and she knew she would be bombarded with questions about where she had been. 

David swung the front door open and within seconds Mary Margaret had descended the stairs.

"David, did you find her?" She asked, her voice higher than normal that worried tone still there.

"Hi, Mom," Emma said awkwardly as she finally walked into the apartment.

"Oh, Emma!" She flung her arms around Emma and pulled her into a constricting hug that Emma quickly returned. "Thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried when I didn't hear from you. What happened?"

"I'm so sorry I should have called, I was fine, I just had one too many and stayed with a friend. I promise I'm alright."

"Oh, it's okay Emma all I care about is that your safe just please in future call your mother!"

"Mom?" 

Emma's heart dropped at the sound of Henry's voice from upstairs. She looked up to see him standing at the top of the stairs. He was so grown up now, he had changed so much since Emma first arrived in Storybrooke that it was scary sometimes. She knew she could trust him to stay with his grandparents or even home alone if it was necessary but she hated leaving him.

"Heya Kid, I'm sorry if I worried you. You okay?" Emma asked.

"Yeah." Henry nodded walking down the stairs to where the rest of them were standing. Emma pulled him towards her and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "What happened last night?"

"Just a regular girls night with too much to drink." Emma laughed. It was a lie, but she wasn't ready to tell anyone the truth. Especially not Henry and her parents. 

~~~

_"Well, I didn't take this as your usual spot." Emma teased returning her smirk._

_"Oh, it's not." Regina laughed taking the empty seat next to Emma at the bar. "Just the closest place to the office with liquor."_

_Regina was wearing the same outfit Emma had seen her in that morning at the town hall, one of her black pencil skirts with a long slit on one side that showed off her leg when she shifted to cross them. She had the same white dress shirt on but now there was a black corset on over it. Emma was convinced Regina had dug it out of her old Evil Queen wardrobe, it was lace-up in the front and was made out of leather material. Regina had shrugged a black suit jacket on with it but it was clear that the corset was meant to be the centrepiece of the outfit. Emma certainly wasn't complaining._

_"Long day, Your Majesty?" Emma let the title roll off her tongue, the hint of a suggestive tone coated her voice as she shifted in her seat leaning further towards Regina._

_"You could say that," Regina said watching the way Emma moved closer and then signalled to the bartender._

_"Another Madam Mayor?" He asked moving away from the man he had been talking to in favour of serving Regina._

_"Two shots this time please." She made direct eye contact with Emma as she spoke and her eyes lit up with excitement at the thought._

_The bartender placed the two shot glasses in front of them and Regina quickly reached forward, swallowing down the contents in a matter of seconds. Emma laughed and picked up the other glass copying Regina's movements. Emma could feel something more than just the drunken giddiness telling her this was going to be a good night._

_"So what has the Mayor drinking alone tonight?" Emma asked._

_"Well I'm not drinking alone anymore, am I? Just more paperwork than I would have liked and I needed to destress."_

_"Aren't you glad you ran into me then?" Emma smirked at her._

_"That depends on whether you help me destress or just add more stress to the pile."_

_Emma shifted on her seat again, this time letting the back of her hand brush against Regina's knee. Regina didn't move away as Emma had expected her to, instead she arched an eyebrow at Emma and gave her a challenging look. Emma took a moment to consider whether Regina was just entertaining her or if she truly was playing a game with her, trying to get her to make the first move. Emma turned back towards the bartender and signalled for another round._

_"Oh please, I'm a joy to be around." Emma joked. She picked up the next row of shots from the counter and held one out to Regina._

_"We'll see about that." Regina accepted the shot and Emma watched her closely as she drank it. Once Regina placed her empty glass down on the counter she leaned forward and gently pulled at the cuff of Emma's sleeve. "If I'm not mistaken that shirt is mine, Emma."_

_"Hmm was it? Shame, I like it."_

_"Guess I'll just have to take it back."_

_That was enough to give Emma the bravery she needed. She trailed her hand up exposed skin of Regina's leg and let it rest on her thigh. Regina's eyes flickered down to her hand before meeting her gaze again. Regina's eyes had darkened now, her usual brown now almost completely black._

_"Bit of a handsy drunk Miss Swan?"_

_"That a problem?"_

_"Oh not at all."_

_Regina caught Emma's wrist when she tried to push her hand higher up her leg. For a second Emma panicked, some part of her worrying that maybe she had read the signs wrong. Then she stood up from the stool, Emma's hand still in hers and lead her towards the back entrance of the bar easily slipping through the crowd. Emma hurried to keep up with Regina's fast pace, her heart hammering against her ribs as she followed her. Regina pushed the door open and a wave of cold air hit them both. The thought of the cold quickly disappeared when Regina jerked Emma forward by their still joined hands and crashed her lips into hers. Emma gasped at the sudden movement, regaining her composure a moment later she returned the kiss. She could taste the bitter taste of the shots on her lips as well as the faint taste of Regina's own homemade apple cider._

_Emma let her hands fall to Regina's waist and swung her around, walking her backwards until her back hit the brick wall of the bar. Regina let her hand glide up her back before tangling in her blonde hair, her other hand finding her waist._

_Emma was convinced she had simply drunk too much and was now passed out at home. This couldn't be real, but the feeling of Regina pressed against her and her hand in her hair was very real. There had always been teasing between them. Flirtatious comments that lead nowhere but now, this was happening._

_Regina let her hand that was on her waist tug at the bottom of Emma's shirt, her fingers brushing against her skin as she untucked it from her jeans. Emma sighed against her lips and pulled her even closer to her, the feeling of Regina's warm hand against her cold skin lit up her nerves and made her skin break out in goosebumps._

_"My car is parked around the corner," Emma whispered._

_"Emma I don't care how badly either of us wants this, I'm not letting you kill us in that car." Regina laughed but it came out breathless. "I'll handle that."_

_Emma nodded, she fully trusted Regina with whatever she had in mind. She leaned back in to kiss Regina with one hand planted on the wall behind her to steady herself. Emma could feel the heavy blanket of Regina's magic wrapping around her, the warmth of the spell and the faint smell of burnt sugar taking over her senses. When she pulled away to try and catch her breath they were standing in Regina's house and Regina was now pushed up against the wall in the hallway._

_"Impressive." Emma grinned._

_"Oh shut up Miss Swan."_

_Regina grabbed Emma by the collar of her shirt and pulled her back down into a heated kiss nipping gently at her bottom lip. Emma let her arm slid around her waist and moved her way from the wall. Regina quickly took the hint and started to move back towards the stairs. Halfway there Regina stopped to kick her heels off to the side, with her love for heels Emma had never noticed before that Regina was shorter than her. She caught her as she staggered slightly and dipped her head down to place a kiss just below her jaw, her hand coming up to cup her cheek. Kissing further down her neck Emma continued to slowly back Regina towards the stairs._

_Regina's mind was clouded with the feeling of Emma's lips against her skin and she stepped too far back, the backs of her legs hitting the stairs. She stumbled backwards and she landed on the stairs with Emma on top of her. They both broke into laughter, Emma shifting her weight off Regina so she wasn't crushing her._

_"You alright?" Emma mumbled against Regina's lips._

_"Perfect." She nodded._

_Regina had landed with her knee bent on the steps letting her skirt slip even further up her leg. Emma glanced down and ran her hand up her leg not stopping where she had in the bar. Regina gasped and wrapped her arms around Emma's neck, her face buried in her blonde hair. Emma pulled her hand away moving it up to Regina's waist and instead let her leg rest between Regina's thighs. Regina moved closer to Emma and brushed against her leg._

_"Emma." Her voice was broken and she could hear the pleading tone. "Wait. We are not doing this on my stairs."_

_"Are we not? Because it seems like we are." Emma teased._

_Regina shook her head and brought her hands around to push at Emma's chest. Emma couldn't help the whine that escaped her throat at the loss of contact as Regina stumbled to her feet. Of course, no matter what Regina would be in control of the situation and Emma loved that. She pushed herself up and followed Regina upstairs. She had been in the house many times, including the upstairs but there was something different about it now as she was lead down the hall with nothing to guide her but Regina's hand that had now found hers gain._

_Regina pushed open a door at the end of the hall and pulled Emma inside. The lights clicked on but Emma couldn't pay attention to anything else in the room, not when Regina threw her jacket over the back of a chair and sat down on the edge of the bed. Emma just watched her for a moment, watched the way she lay down and stretched back on the bed her back arching up slightly as she moved. Her hair was already a mess from Emma's hands and she was sure half of Regina's missing red lipstick was on her own lips. She was stunning._

_"Are you just going to stand there Emma?" Regina called._

_Emma grinned at her and kicked her own shoes off before following Regina to the bed. She climbed on top of her, her knees on either side of her hips as she stared down at Regina. She brought her hand down and gently brushed her hair out of her face._

_"I should have told you earlier but you do look beautiful tonight Regina," Emma said, her voice softening. She moved her hand down to run her fingers across her jaw._

_"So do you." Regina smiled. She leaned up so her lips were right next to Emma's ear and whispered. "In my shirt."_

_"You're not going to let me forget about this are you?"_

_"No, because I don't want to forget how good it looks on you." Regina ran her hands down Emma's side and her fingers played with the hem of the shirt. She let her hands slip under the material and pressed them against her ribs._

_Emma pushed Regina back against the mattress and kissed down her neck, letting her teeth drag across her pulse point which made her flex her fingers against Emma's skin. Regina brought one hand back to her side and Emma noticed her raise it out of the corner of her eye. Quickly realising what she was about to do she sat back and caught Regina's wrist in her hand._

_"Let me, please?" Emma asked pressing her lips to the palm of her hand. She knew Regina could just use her magic to strip them of their clothes in seconds but Emma wanted to do it herself._

_"Okay." Regina nodded._

_Emma leaned forward again and took the end of the ribbon that held Regina's corset closed in her hand, slowly pulling it open._

_~~~_

Regina glanced at the pile of paperwork that sat on her desk and sighed. It seemed like she had barely made a dent in it since she sat down in the study almost an hour ago. Her mind seemed incapable of focusing on anything but the events of the night before. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate her mind would wander back to Emma and what had happened between them. She barely had any time to talk to Emma before she left and she still didn't understand what that meant for them. Her mind wouldn't be at ease until she talked to Emma about it. 

She pinched the bridge of her nose and slid off her glasses letting her eyes land on her phone. Regina took a deep breath and picked up her phone, quickly dialling Emma's number before she had the chance to back out. The phone rang once, twice and then.

"Regina? What's wrong?" 

"Nothing wrong, I just thought maybe we should talk about well I'm sure you know what I mean," Regina explained. "I thought perhaps you would like to come over for dinner Friday night?"

There was a beat of silence and she could hear Emma moving around presumably to another room. Regina started to worry she had overstepped when Emma didn't respond.

"Henry's with Charming on that camping trip for the weekend so maybe-" 

"Regina." Emma laughed. "You had me with the mention of food. You just surprised me is all, don't worry."

"Right." Regina let out her own laugh, the tension that had her so worked up finally easing. "So let's say six o'clock Friday?"

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"See you then Emma."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit more of a casual chapter but the next one is certainly going to be eventful! I really appreciate all the support on this story so far, your comments truly mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this new chapter :D

Emma pushed the door to Granny's open and stepped in out of the cold letting it swing shut behind her. It was her first day back at work since that night at the bar, and her first time seeing Ruby since then. She was almost nervous to see her. At first, she had thought about just skipping lunch and finishing up the paperwork they needed to drop off at Regina's office in a few hours but she never missed going to Granny's to pick up her lunch when she was working. She knew Ruby, she wouldn't give up until she got some information out of her about what had happened that night and honestly, she had no idea what to tell her. She would be able to tell Emma was lying from a mile away. 

"Well, if it isn't our little escape artist." Ruby laughed cocking an eyebrow at Emma and crossing her arms over her chest. "Where have you been?"

"Oh please Ruby you were too busy with Dorothy to even notice I had taken off." Emma teased walking over to take a seat at the counter. Ruby dropped the towel she was holding down onto the worktop behind her, her previous work seemingly abandoned now and leaned against the counter. 

"Excuse me Ruby but I don't remember saying you were on your break!" The door to the kitchen swung open and Granny walked out with a plate in one hand, the other placed firmly on her hip. 

"I'm taking Emma's order!" Ruby countered quickly pulling out her notepad and pen that were tucked into her apron as if that had been her plan all along.

"A grilled cheese with a side of onion rings and large hot cocoa to go, it's already on." Granny recited shooting Ruby a look that she said she didn't believe a word of her excuse. "Did you forget she comes in practically every day?"

"You know me so well." Emma chuckled, it was true her order was always the same ever since she had first come to Storybrooke. When she had first arrived it had felt strange to have Granny remember her order whenever she came in. Before coming to Storybrooke she had never had a set routine, between moving around and being out of town for work she was never in the same place long enough to become a regular. Now it was comforting to know that Granny would have her food waiting for her every day. 

"Fifteen minutes Ruby," Granny said. "Then it's back to work."

"Okay well you heard her Emma, you have fifteen minutes to spill everything that happened the other night." Ruby grinned tapping her red nails against the countertop. Ruby had been trying to get Emma to find someone for months now claiming that she needed a break from her constant workflow as both the saviour and the sheriff. It had created a few awkward moments of Ruby having an "emergency" and leaving Emma alone at a bar with some of Ruby's friends that she barely knew in hopes that she might hit it off with one of them.

"There's really not much to tell, I got very drunk and then." Emma paused for a moment. She wanted to tell Ruby the truth or as much of the truth as she could. She was her best friend and she hated lying to her but this wasn't just her secret, it was Regina's too and she wanted to respect her privacy. "I went home with someone."

"I knew it!" Ruby exclaimed, her high pitched shout attracting a few stares from people in the diner. Noticing the attention she had attracted she cleared her throat before speaking again lowering her voice so no one could overhear them. "So who was it?" 

"I can't tell you that Ruby, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone." Emma shook her head dropping her gaze to the counter as she waited for Ruby's response. There was a nervous knot building in her stomach, she was afraid she would say too much and Ruby would figure it out on her own.

"Oh fine. Were they hot? Wait, was it a woman?"

"Yes it was a woman and yes, they were insanely hot." Emma nodded letting out a slight chuckle. Ruby's question brought back the image of Regina in that well-fitted corset and she found her mind starting to wander back to the way she had looked that night. 

"Damn, I'm proud of you." Ruby laughed with a slight shake of her head. Her eyes quickly looked around them making sure no one was within earshot before she asked. "So, was it good?" 

"Ruby!" Emma wasn't easily embarrassed and she was glad she wasn't with a friend like Ruby because she always asked what was on her mind, no matter what it was. 

"What? I just want to make sure you ditched us for a good reason." 

Emma rolled her eyes and glared at Ruby who just chuckled and shrugged her shoulder. Emma was grateful for Granny walking over then with her takeaway bag in one hand and her cup of hot cocoa in the other. She placed them down on the counter in front of her and smiled warmly.

"There you go Emma, we'll see you tomorrow?"

"Same time as always." Emma grinned. "Thanks, Granny." 

Emma hopped down off her stool and pulled out her wallet, handing the money over to Ruby. While Ruby entered the money into the cash register Emma gathered up her things, her stomach rumbling at the smell of the freshly cooked food. When Ruby turned back around Emma beckoned her over to the counter again. She pushed herself up onto her toes and leaned over the counter to whisper to Ruby.

"It was incredible." 

Emma swiftly pulled away again shooting an innocent smile over her shoulder at Ruby as she pulled the door open and moved to step outside. She let out a laugh at the wide-eyed look of shock on Ruby's face at her comment.

"I will get a name out of you Emma Swan!" Ruby called after her.

~~~

"Regina."

"What?" Emma's head snapped up from the work in front of her to see David standing at her desk. The tone of voice David said her name in sending a wave of fear through her body.

"We need to go to Regina's office, to drop off the paperwork. I've been talking to you for the last five minutes Emma were you listening at all?" David sighed.

"Right. Yeah. Sorry, just lost in thought." Emma shook her head gathering up the last of the loose papers on her desk and slid them into the file. She threw on her jacket and tucked the file under her arm walking around the desk to join David. "Better not keep the Queen waiting."

The trip to Regina's office was quick and they spent most of the time discussing the new plan they wanted to propose to Regina, the same plan that had them swamped with paperwork and planning for the last week and a half. Both Emma and David had decided that only having two sheriffs in the town wasn't enough, especially with them both trying to balance their shifts so they could spend time with their children. Mary Margaret had returned to teaching so David needed more time off to take care of Neal and Emma needed her weekends free for when Henry was home. David had suggested that they could hire some new deputies and Emma had immediately been on board but they still needed to run it by Regina.

Emma walked into Regina's office, tapping her knuckles on the glass panel of the door when she already had it half-open. It took Regina a moment to realise who had walked in but after that, it only took a second for her to reach up and snatch her glasses off, quickly throwing them down behind one of the photo frames on her desk hoping Emma hadn't noticed but the grin plastered across her face said differently. 

"Never thought I'd see the Evil Queen wearing reading glasses." Emma chuckled. "Is there not a spell for that?" 

"Careful Miss Swan," Regina warned pointing the pen in her hand at Emma. "What are the two of you doing here anyway?" 

"We have the request forms filled out for our proposal," David explained. 

"Oh of course, why don't you take a seat we can talk a bit about this," Regina suggested.

Emma pulled out one of the chairs in front of Regina's desk and sat down. She looked at the photo frame she had tried to hid her glasses behind and smiled at the photo. It was of her, Regina and Henry from last summer. She still remembered that day so clearly. They were sitting on the grass in Regina's back garden with Henry between them, they both had one arm wrapped around him and Emma had stretched her hand around to rest on Regina's shoulder. She remembered the warmth of the sun as they had all sat outside drinking, it had been Henry's idea to throw a barbeque for the whole family and Regina had offered to host since she had the most space. The night had ended with Emma, Regina and David all in the pool still fully dressed after David had surprised Emma and tried to push her in. In her panic, she had grabbed Regina's arm and dragged her in with her, to say she was angry was an understatement. They had both managed to pull David in with them after that. 

"So, if you were to take on more deputies for the station who are you considering?" Regina asked.

"We were considering possibly opening it up for people to apply but Robin and his Merry Men have been asking for work so we thought maybe some of them," David said.

"I was considering Robin and Will Scarlet in particular. Robin has helped us out a few times and I think given the chance Will could be a good fit. The Merry Men already do their own patrols around the woods we could possibly expand their borders. They've shown interest in the past and I think they'd be more than willing." Emma explained.

Regina had propped her elbows up on her desk, resting her chin on her joined hands. She was watching Emma closely as she spoke seemingly ignoring that David was even sitting next to her. It felt strange that her first proper conversation with Regina since accepting the dinner invite was a work meeting. They were a constant part of each others routine with work and Henry and even if they didn't see each other they were always in contact most days through messages or phone calls but it had been a few days now with no talking. Once Emma had finished talking Regina nodded and flipped the file open to scan her eyes over the paperwork. 

"Well it certainly seems like you have all the paperwork for this filled out properly but I'll have a thorough look over it. Personally I think it would work out nicely for the town so I'll see what I can do." Regina smiled at them both.

"Thank you for this Regina." David nodded a look of relief washing over his face. Emma knew how nervous he had been about this as he really needed the time off. "I have to go pick up Neal now so I'll talk to you later but I really do appreciate this. Emma, are you coming along?" 

"Actually I going to stay and talk to Regina, just want to make sure Henry's ready for his trip with you this weekend. I'll see you back at the loft." 

"Okay."

Emma watched David make his way out of the office and waited until she was certain that he was at least halfway down the hall before turning back to face Regina. The last person she needed to find out about what had happened was her father.

"Is everything alright Emma?" Regina asked. Emma could hear the slight hint of worry in her voice and she noticed the way nervously picked at the notebook on her desk. Emma offered her a reassuring smile before she spoke.

"Everything's fine. I was just wondering if this dinner on Friday has a dress code?" 

"No Emma." She laughed, any nervousness that had been there melting away. "You're red leather and jeans will do just fine. It's just a casual dinner and a chance for us to talk about what happened." 

"Right so I don't need to break out any of Mary Margaret's ball gowns, got it." Emma nodded trying her best to make a serious face but she couldn't hide the grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"I mean you can if you'd prefer. I'm sure I could dig out some of my old ones, make it a formal event." Regina teased.

"As much as I would like to see you wear another Evil Queen leather corset to dinner I think I'll save the ball gown for another day."

Regina caught her lip between her teeth and a light red tint crept up her neck at Emma's comment. She was beautiful. Emma couldn't help but think it as she watched her tuck her hair behind her ear. That night was the first time Emma had ever said it out loud to Regina. The first time she had looked her in the eyes and felt she could. 

"I should probably get going," Emma said finally standing up. She pushed her chair back to its usual place and leaned against the front of the desk. Reaching behind the photo frame she picked up Regina's glasses and looked down at them. They were a simple black frame that suited her. She lifted them up and slowly slid them back onto Regina's face. Her fingers gently brushed across her cheeks as she pushed them up and she felt Regina lean into the touch. "They look good on you." 

"I'll see you on Friday Emma," 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback on the story so far is greatly appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to also follow me over on Tumblr at ThatWinchester67 as I will also be posting this fic there. You can also send me an ask over there or comment any questions you have about the fic here!


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